Steven Valentine

Chief of Staff, HHS Assistant Secretary of Health

Who is Steven Valentine?

Valentine’s entire career has focused on working to limit reproductive rights. After being appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in January 2017, he quickly took the lead in dismantling the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program — including changing its focus from evidence-based sex education to ineffective abstinence-only initiatives. The shift is against the advice of both health experts and longtime HHS staff. Valentine’s 2018 promotion gives him even more power.